Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of appointment-only counter service at County Courts on the accessibility of the court system.

Appointment-only counters have been in operation within HMCTS since 2012. Equality Impact Assessments were undertaken in line with ‘the framework for the Provision of Front Office Service in the County Courts (2008)’ which details the minimum standards for counter provision. The framework allows for the introduction of various levels of counter provision to meet local needs at different county courts whilst ensuring minimum standards are maintained along with adequate provision for urgent court business.